The Star-Born Captain
by Cybrawler253
Summary: When Tabuu is on the verge of awakening, it's up to the most unlikely of heroes to bring the Smashers together and lead them against the enemy. What will happen, when the stakes are higher for him than anyone else? Even with the help of the greatest heroes in the universe, its fate may lie in his hands. ON HIATUS!
1. Prologue, Impending Doom

The time of darkness was drawing nearer.

In the back of his mind, he had a feeling that it would happen someday. However, even now, he still didn't know what to do when it happened.

He thought back to the cosmic war that took place eons ago. To him, it seemed like a snap of his colossal fingers, since the duel against Tabu. The duel that would decide the fate of the universe. They were fighting to decide which would rule, darkness or light. Both had unleashed every ounce of power they had, almost destroying all existence. However, instead, new worlds were beginning to form. With his last bit of strength, he sent the abomination, the being of destruction to face imprisonment.

But even though Tabuu lost, and was now banished to the dark dimension of Subspace, he would return. Because even though the ruler of cosmos was mighty, he wasn't invincible. Due to the injuries sustained in the battle, the cosmic ruler split his entire form into two entities. One was Crazy Hand, who contained his raw power and might, as well as the capacity to create. The other was Master Hand, who had the more rational mind, and had the ability to bring shape to the intense bursts of energy that Crazy Hand produced.

He still harbored the consiousness of the original being, and they both worked together to create new worlds, in hopes of finding one strong enough to stop the impending crisis. Because if the fight were to happen again, in his current form, he would surely lose, and darkness would prevail.

Both hands created a dimension surrounding the universe's core, and brought potential heroes to stop Tabuu when he was released. While their power was drained with each world they created, they both knew that their resources had to be pooled into one central entity. Tournaments were organized, in order to find out which one was the most powerful, as well as for all of them to perfect their fighting skills. With each passing session, more were brought to the center dimension. It began with twelve, and when the next game began, thirteen more joined the army. The heroes were tested with each brawl, even to the point of fighting either Master Hand, Crazy Hand, or both of them at once.

However, just as the third phase of the game was about to commence, the void to the dark dimension of Subspace opened. Even though Tabuu was still imprisoned, he could still send out his forces. Master Hand knew that it wouldn't be long before Tabuu found him.

It was then that he decided to call forth the one he determined was worthy. A being born from the very stars itself, who had the power to shift the balance of an entire world. Just with his guidance, the weak and vulnerable of that world were able to become strong enough to face up to their predators. Both Master Hand and Crazy Hand knew milleniums ago that he would be the perfect one to lead the army of chosen. They watched him from afar, witnessing him overcome obstacles that seemed entirely hopeless. And while he was weak in physical strength, he made up for it with his mental prowess and strategic planning. In short, he had more potential than all twenty-five of the heroes from the past tournaments.

"Ahahahahaha! Finally, you've started to take this threat seriously!"

Master Hand swiveled around and came hand-to-hand with his erratic counterpart. He was positive that if Crazy Hand had a face, he would be grinning the entire time out of mirth.

 _As if_ _you've_ _ever taken a single thing seriously in your life,_ Master Hand thought. But then again, this was to be expected from the...slightly unstable half of himself.

"Are you gonna call him any time soon or what?"

"I was planning to."

"Finally! About time you decided to bring out the main firepower!"

"He doesn't specialize in raw power, and you know it."

"That's not what I'm talking about. You should know me enough by now."

He tensed, knowing full well what Crazy referring to.

"For the last time, no. You are _not_ using him as a science experiment to test your new invention."

Swinging from side to side out of frustration, the unstable hand took what little self control he had to avoid firing beams of destruction upon the supreme creator.

"Come onnnnn. He's got the best potential for the 'Smash Ball' I've ever seen! While you say he lacks in power, this sphere of raw energy will turn him into a GOD! That 'Tabuu' dude will be running scared by the time he's done with him!"

Master Hand hesitated. While Crazy was thinking logically for perhaps the first time in his life, it was neither his, nor Master Hand's decision to allow his creation to be infused with the hero.

"If he accepts your offer to test it out, I will allow it. Mainly because, as you say, it is one of the only ways I can see us victorious."

Crazy Hand's fingers twirled with increasing excitement. "YES! Now you're seeing things my way!"

"But I'm warning you, if you endanger his life, even the tiniest bit, I will personally send you to the deepest corner of Subspace. Do you understand?"

"You're one to talk. You let him endanger his own life, rather than help him escape from that planet he crashed onto..."

Master Hand was taken aback. True, he hadn't interfered with him when he was faced with that life-threatening situation. However...

"It was a test that had to be taken. An obstacle that he had to overcome."

"Whatever," the other hand replied, shrugging. "It isn't any of my business. But hey, you'd better come out of this alive. Who's gonna keep my raw power from destroying the universe if you're gone?"

Master Hand couldn't help but give out a small chuckle. Even in a situation as hopeless as this, Crazy Hand still showed a lot of optimism. It was one of the traits that he admired about his other half.

"I understand."

Crazy pointed in the distance, gesturing towards a large mass of pure darkness approaching dimensions away.

"Well, you'd better pay that little Hocotation a visit before that army of Tabuu's gets here."

"I'm on it. And Crazy..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't do anything reckless or insanely dangerous."

"Awww, why not? It's my hobby!"

Master Hand sighed. His other half would never change. But it gave him strength knowing that there was someone as powerful as him on his side, if not more so.

The forces of darkness were growing closer. Even now, their influence had affected both the veterans and the newcomers. Five of them had already joined Tabuu's army, and yet another five were sent back to warn their homeworlds of the oncoming disaster.

At last...the time had come...to call upon the Star-Born Captain.

* * *

 **My first fanfic, which is my own twist on the Subspace Emissary of SSBB. Feel free to like or follow this, and reviews/constructive criticism is appreciated. But PLZ, NO FLAMES!**


	2. Chapter 1, Resuming the Leader's Role

It was the first pleasant dream he'd had in a while.

No Bulborbs, no Pikmin deaths, no life-threatening situations. Olimar couldn't remember the last time he'd had a dream like that.

But then again, that was to be expected. Whenever he felt like his life was about to get better, it inevitably took a turn for the worse. His job that he hated, along with the boss that he detested, had kept him away from his family a lot more than was necessary. It seemed like forever since he got to spend time with his family, and when he came back, it was like a hole in his chest had been filled, and a huge weight off his shoulders had been lifted. No more leadership. No more battles. No more death.

His wife was sympathetic, but she didn't understand. No one did. That was because he didn't tell them about what happened. He was afraid, afraid of bringing up the dark and sinister memories of his past. The guilt that pierced his heart whenever a Pikmin died under his command. The fear he felt for Louie when he left him behind. And the fear of those dreams, where he saw himself...dying of oxygen poisoning.

Olimar shivered at the memory. He constantly tried to remind himself that he was no longer stranded on the Pikmin planet, that he was home on Hocotate where he was safe. However, that fear never went away, and it even made him afraid to go to sleep at night.

Tonight was an exception though. A calm and refreshing field was where he found himself when he slipped away into the world of dreams. The stars in the transparent atmosphere of Hocotate were even more wonderous and beautiful, and he felt better than he had felt in a long time. Staring up at the crimson moon of his home planet, he felt at one with the star-strewn sky.

A fluttering sound caught his attention, and he swiveled around to see an Unmarked Spectralid land on the ground beside him. Its body was a pale blue, and its wings were covered in an ever-changing rainbow pattern. But...this one seemed different from the others that he had seen. It seemed...sentient.

Suddenly, the Spectralid flew up towards the center of the field, and its wings grew to an enormous size. It's body began to change, becoming less insect and looking more humanoid. It's eyes seemed to drill right into Olimar's soul, and seemed to possess no sympathy or compassion whatsoever. With a flash of its wings, which began to glow brighter with the sudden increase in power, it unleashed an immense energy wave...and everything went black.

* * *

"Get up."

Ears twitching at the sudden noise, the Hocotation pushed himself to his feet and looked around. He tried to locate the source of the noise, but he was the only one there. The once-peaceful landscape of his dream had disappeared, and replaced with a swirling purple void of darkness.

"This dream is starting to unnerve me..."

"My apologies, Captain. Would you prefer the landscape you were in before?"

With the sound of fingers snapping, the indigo-colored vortex was replaced once more by the calming landscape. However, this was more unsettling than before, as now he was sure that there was someone else here. Even though it seemed to be a dream, it definitely seemed that there was an unknown power interfering.

"What is this phenomenon? Who does that voice belong to?"

"I'm terribly sorry. I merely wish to speak with you. Here, I'll reveal myself to you, so we can communicate better."

As soon as the sentence finished, an unusual form took shape. It was a massive, floating hand, pale white, and seemingly not attached to anything in sight. Olimar blinked, this was definitely getting stranger and stranger, even for him.

"What, or who are you?"

"I am known by many names, but most refer to me as the Master Hand," the being replied, "And I have a reason for coming into contact with you.

"By...talking to me within my subconscious?"

"Ah, so you think you are still dreaming. That was not a dream, but a vision."

Olimar's mind instantly jumped back to the moment with the rainbow-winged Spectralid. _Those eyes...they seemed to emit such malevolence. But...from my experience with Spectralids on the Pikmin planet, they are peaceful creatures. What does this mean?_

"That being that was in the vision, is a force of pure destruction and evil. I fought and imprisoned him eons ago, but I knew it would only hold him off, and not permanently destroy him. He is slowly regaining his power, and even now, there is only a matter of time before he will strike."

"I...I think I know where you're going with this. You want me to help, don't you? But...you don't understand, I can't leave. I have a family to take care of, and I'm sure that you have much more skills than me when it comes to battle. Besides, you were able to defeat him before, weren't you?"

"Captain, I don't think you grasp what our enemy is capable of. Yes, I was able to defeat him before, but I not only have a fraction of the power I once possessed, but he, even weakened surpasses my strength. Not to mention, when, not if, he breaks free, do you know what he will do?"

"With all due respect, how am I supposed to know-"

"He will consume the entire universe."

This took Olimar aback. Of all the answers he expected, he didn't see this as a possibility. _A being that can absorb the universe? How is this even possible?!_

"Ah, my apologies, my statement is slightly incorrect. To be specific, he will absorb _my_ universe once he has regained enough strength, and with the resulting surge of power, he will break free and not only drain all other worlds from existence, but convert them into pure energy to devour. So as you can see, not even the family that you wish to protect will be safe."

The space captain backed away, the sheer magnitude of the hand's speech sinking into his mind. "You...this can't be happening! You're lying, is this your idea of a threat? What do you want from me?"

"I'm not forcing the decision on you, I'm just informing you of the situation at hand. He is at his weakest while he's imprisoned, so now is the time to strike. If you wish to contribute your skills to this task, I shall transport you to my dimension. However, if not, I shall simply try to recruit as many as I can before he finds me. The choice is yours."

Olimar stopped to think. _This being doesn't seem hostile, can I trust him? Master Hand isn't forcing me to go against my will, and is leaving the decision up to me. He said that he would recruit others...so at least I won't be doing this alone. But...can I really contribute much? Wouldn't the outcome stay the same whether or not I went? If I stay, then I can at least spend time with my family before this demon destroys everything. But if I go..._

"I am having doubts about this... I just don't see how I would be able to make a difference..."

"I didn't come here looking for sheer power, because if that was the case, I would look elsewhere. However...I can see you contributing something...different. I know of your history, and I know that you've surpassed near impossible odds in the past. I don't know what the outcome of this will be, but I will say without any hesitation that it is possible for you to make a difference."

Still unsure, he hesitantly stepped towards the floating hand. As soon as he slowly but surely nodded yes, the gigantic hand snapped his fingers. Instantly, Olimar was garbed in his familiar space suit, complete with all the upgrades he gathered from the caves he explored. A mass of glowing energy began to appear behind Master Hand, and when it finally subsided, it took the form of what seemed to be an ordinary red door. But to Olimar, it was huge, even bigger than his ship, the S. S. Dolphin. All he could do was stare at Master Hand, wondering if the being actually _expected_ him to open a door that colossal.

"This is the portal that will transport you to my world. You must be on your guard, for he is sending his forces to transfer power to him as we speak. However, like I said before, you will not be doing this alone. Others will help you, so do your best to meet up with them," Master Hand paused, seeing Olimar start to say something," and yes, your size is an issue... My apologies."

Snapping his fingers once more, the space captain felt himself growing rapidly in height and weight. It wasn't painful, but the vast difference in size felt very strange to him. In mere seconds, the door that once seemed impossible to open now looked like an everyday task. Slowly walking towards the portal, Olimar stopped to look at Master Hand. He still had so many questions for him! But he somehow knew that there wouldn't be enough time to answer them all. _I suppose that once again, I'll have to figure things out for myself. But...I won't be alone this time, I'll have others to help guide me._ Taking a deep breath, Olimar pulled on the door's handles and stepped through.

* * *

Master Hand exited out of the vision as soon as Olimar left, but to his horror, he was faced with Tabuu's forces already waging their attack in the pocket dimension he called home. Crazy Hand was putting up a fight as best he could, but whenever an enemy fell, twenty more replaced it. Without a word, the insane hand's counterpart warped to his location, and wiped out all the monsters attacking Crazy.

"About freaking time! Geez, these guys keep on coming! And I thought that those mortals down there had it tough!"

Firing a laser blast at a nearby foe, Master Hand pushed Crazy to the side. "I'll take it from here. You on the other hand, need to finish working on the prototype Smash Ball. Be prepared to make more than one, if necessary. Understood?"

Laughing hysterically, Crazy's fingers twirled around in circles in his unique fashion. "On the other _hand_?!" God, your puns are so damn _funny_! I knew you had a sense of humor!"

"Get MOVING!"

"Alright, _fine,_ " the chaotic being snapped, warping out as soon as he finished speaking. Master Hand began wiping out as many of the creatures as he could. _I know that I won't be able to keep this up forever, but if they were somehow able to find this secluded dimension, I won't be able to flee anywhere, and neither will Crazy. I'll fight off as many as I can.. but I know that there is no escaping my fate._ With that, Master Hand continued fighting a battle he knew very well he couldn't win.

* * *

 **Haven't worked on this for a while, but anyways, here's the first official chapter of SBC! (The first chapter that was posted, I just consider the prologue.)**


	3. Chapter 2, The Two Captains Meet

Out of all the things he expected to see, there was one thing he was the happiest about.

Yes, the fact that the door led to a set of ancient ruins was fascinating to him, but beyond all else, a wave of relief washed over Olimar as four familiar objects greeted his eyes. First, there was his ship. While it belonged to the company he worked for, and despite its snarky attitude, it felt good to see a familiar form in such an unusual situation. Not to mention, the ship was also the vessel that the Purple and White Pikmin resided in, as they did not have Onions of their own.

As for the other three, that was just what they were: Onions. The name of the Pikmin's mother ships, as well as their incubators. Olimar gave them such a name due to how much they looked like the vegetable from his home planet. At least...when they were in their dormant states. When the ships came to life after Olimar approached them the first time he saw them...that was when it became clear that they were something else altogether. Three long legs jutted out from the ships, hoisting them off the ground, a giant flower that also functioned as a propeller was on top, and each one was colored the same as the Pikmin who inhabited it. The entire population of each color, were currently contained inside each of these Onions, with the exception of the aforementioned Purple and White Pikmin.

 _It seems Master Hand knows just how important the Pikmin were in my previous adventures. Just knowing that the Pikmin are here... I already feel more confident about this. But...do they have confidence in me? Do they still trust me, even after all that has happened?_ Deep in his heart, Olimar couldn't help feel a stab of guilt. Once again, he would have to take on the role of the Pikmin's leader. And once again, he would be responsible for each life that is lost in battle. Yes, the Pikmin followed him into battle regardless. However... it sometimes seemed like they had no regard for their own lives whatsoever. _I wish I knew what they thought of me, and that I could communicate with them at least once..._

 **Krrrzzzttt...zzzzrrrk... This place is unfamiliar. Scanning nearby surroundings.**

Olimar's antenna perked up, sensing the Hocotate ship's communication waves. Of all the ships that Olimar had piloted, this one was by far the most snarky and irritable. Not to mention, that its rusty red coating was a huge downgrade from the sleek coat of his own S.S. Dolphin. But even then, in this unfamiliar location and situation, the space captain couldn't help but feel grateful for hearing another voice. Even if he despised the source of it.

 **Captain Olimar? I am detecting your presence. Explain why I have been suddenly transported from Hocotate Freight to this strange, new location.**

Turning on his communicator, Olimar began to explain what was going on. **Well, you see, I had this strange dream-**

 **Enough. Machines such as myself do not understand the concept of "dreaming." By this logic, what you were about to say is now irrelevent.**

Groaning, Olimar instantly remembered why he hated his manager's ship so much. It was almost as irritating as his boss! Also, he couldn't help but notice that the ship had lost its golden paint job in the process of being transported here. He had a mind to point it out, but then stopped, realizing that it would make the machine more angry at him than it already was.

 **Do you happen to have the Purple and White Pikmin with you?**

 **That...is indeed perplexing. My scanners indicate that I _do_ , even though I did not have them in my possession 5.9 minutes ago. Due to their reliance on oxygen, we left them back on their home planet. Strange... But anyway, are you requesting that some be summoned?**

 **Yes, please.**

Right after his request was sent, about twenty of both types of Pikmin spilled out of the ship's interior. They looked around in confusion, but instantly snapped to attention upon spotting their leader. Olimar went over to the other three Onions, calling out the Red, Blue, and Yellow Pikmin. By bringing out twenty of each color, it added up to a full battalion of one hundred. He didn't know what he was going to be facing, and going with the versatility squad would be the best option.

The Pikmin all looked at Olimar expectantly, awaiting the orders they knew he would give. Of course, they couldn't actually communicate with each other, the space captain tried that already with his language translator device. However, the stems on their heads were able to detect and even identify communication waves, including those from the antenna on Olimar's helmet. This discovery led to the "whistle system" that he regularly used. The Pikmin were able to understand short and simple commands used through this method, which made giving orders in battle all the more efficient.

Gathering his army, Olimar looked around at his surroundings. Crumbling stone walls with strange carvings jutted out of the ground, and moss draped over the ancient relics. As the Hocotatian walked further into the ancient ruins, the grassy earth slowly changed to a pavement-covered walkway. He couldn't help but be fascinated by where he was, and wondered what type of civilization this used to be. Pulling out his journal, he decided to take notes on where he was, as well as his strange encounter the previous night.

 _A strange being appeared to me in a dream, it seemed to be some sort of floating hand. I barely remember the details, all I can recall is that I would help him stop sort of foe. Upon awakening, I discovered not just the Pikmin, but also a decrepit civilization. I am still uncertain on what I am supposed to do here, but maybe these relics hold some sort of clue..._

 _~Captain Olimar_

A white object started to make out in the distance, and upon coming closer, Olimar found he recognized the object. It was the Remembered Old Buddy, or at least, with the rest of its parts attatched. A while ago, he had stumbled upon what appeared to be the head of some sort of robot, which had been given the adforementioned name. And while it wasn't nearly as huge as it had been, due to Olimar's massive increase in size, it was still incredibly gigantic. Walking closer, he prepared to inspect the machine...

INTRUDER ALERT. DESTROY.

A blast of energy beamed from the robot's eyes, striking Olimar with deadly accuracy. He noticed the energy of his space suit had dropped significantly just by that one attack, and immediately got out of the way of another attack from the robot.

 **Dodge.**

The command got through to the Pikmin, and they began to duck and weave, avoiding the laser blasts. Unfortunately, not all of the plant-creatures were able to avoid the attack, as five of the Pikmin were killed instantly upon impact. Their final cries of pain pierced Olimar's ears, as he watched with horror as their bodies disappeared, their ghosts flickered briefly, and then vanished from sight. _They can't keep up dodging its attacks forever. We have to go on the offensive._

 **Attack.**

Flanking the machine, the Pikmin latched onto the robot and slashed at its exterior with their blade-like leaves. While the Remembered Old Buddy still fired its lasers, the Pikmin didn't get hit by any of the attacks due to them swarming its entire being. Olimar ran up as well, and began punching the machine with his Rocket Fist upgrade. While his attacks weren't nearly as strong as the Pikmin, he still wanted to help them fight as much as he could.

Changing tactics, the robot spun around, shaking the Pikmin off, as well as Olimar. Before he could regroup his forces, a barrage of laser blasts wiped out most of the Pikmin that were there. Whistling the remaining Pikmin to his side, the Hocotatian tried to rise to his feet despite his shaking body. _All of those Pikmin...gone. This being is so powerful, it just killed half of a full squad in mere seconds!_ Dodging another attack, he remembered how he fought the Man-at-legs, a robotic Arachnorb with a similar fighting style. He and the Pikmin had used walls to duck and avoid oncoming fire, so maybe he could use the surrounding ruins for shelter?

 _It's worth a shot,_ he thought, as he whistled the Pikmin to his side and sprinted to get out of the way of the robot's spinning attack. He made a mad dash for the nearest rock wall, and crouched behind it in an effort to avoid the gyrating mecha. The Pikmin instantly remembered the strategy from when they fought the Man-at-legs, and swarmed to get into position alongside their captain. The new obstruction didn't stop the foe however, as its spinning metal body effortlessly broke through the relic and knocked both Hocotatian and Pikmin backward. Ceasing its rotation, the robot engaged in its laser attack yet again, as more and more Pikmin disappeared with each successful shot. Olimar cringed in pain as he recieved several of the laser blasts as well, his space suit's damage increasing with every blow.

All of a sudden, the robot stopped its attack and spun around, staring in the other direction. Confused, Olimar tried to see what had diverted his enemy's attention, but rolled out of the way just in time as soon as he saw what was coming. It was a ship, a very advanced, sleek, indigo-colored ship. Just by the design of it, he could tell that it was built for speed, and was accelerating at a rate that even the Dolphin couldn't hope to match.

A figure leaped out of the ship's cockpit, and dived straight down towards the robot's now-exposed head. In a burst of fire, (while yelling something in a language that Olimar didn't understand) the ship's pilot struck a fatal blow to the machine, which collapsed to the ground, unable to move. He looked down upon the fallen mecha, a confident smirk on his face. The pilot didn't seem to notice all of the different-colored ghosts floating up around him, or the fact that the strange carrot-creatures that had been fighting earlier had now dwindeled down to a single one. But Olimar did, and he felt at a worse situation than before. The one remaining Red Pikmin seemed to get the same idea, and immediately bolted over to the Red Onion and wormed its way to safety.

 _He just...effortlessly...EFFORTLESSLY...took out the "Remembered Old Buddy" and the rest of my Pikmin with ONE blow! All those innocent lives...and all this being can do is smile about the carnage he caused?!_

The space captain backed away, shaking in fear. For once, he had no idea how he would fare against this new threat. It had advanced technology, powerful attacks, and Pikmin were clearly useless against it. _I...don't expect to survive this. I just hope...that it can at least have the decency to finish me quickly..._

A strange muttering caused Olimar to open his eyes, which instantly widened after seeing that the pilot was right in front of him. However, his nerves calmed down when he saw that the being wasn't trying to attack him. Instead, it seemed to be trying to...speak to him? He didn't understand a word that was being said, but at least he knew that it at least had a means of communication. _Meaning...my translator device should be able to interpret for me, as well as allow me to speak to it as well. It never worked with the Pikmin, as they didn't have an advanced form of communication. But maybe..._ Still trembling slightly, he pressed the button on his space suit that initiated the translation system. The changes were slow at first, but the program started to analyze the strange new language, and the random gibberish gradually turned into familiar words.

"...pretty beaten up, are you okay?"

"N...no..." Olimar slowly shook his head in response.

"Oh, so you _can_ speak English. I was getting a bit worried there, I thought that you didn't understand me at all. I mean, you _look_ kind of human, so I just figured..."

The Hocotatian backed away, still wary of the new arrival. Obviously not getting the message, the pilot edged closer to him.

"Hey, come on. I'm not gonna hurt you, there's no need to be scared."

"Wh-what about all those Pikmin you killed?"

He tilted his head to the side, a confused look on his face. "Pikmin? What are you talking abo-" He stopped abruptly, as he seemed to notice the reduced amount of the tiny creatures fighting the robot from earlier. "Oh. Those plant things from earlier?"

The lack of remorse he showed was enough for Olimar to turn tail and flee. Intuition or logic wasn't needed to tell him that he was dealing with a psychopath. He barely ran a few feet when said psychopath collided with him mid-sprint and pinned him to the ground.

"Okay, I know we got off on the wrong foot. I didn't mean to kill your friends, honestly! Now can't we just have a decent conversation without you running off on me before I get a sentence out?"

He released the space captain from his grip, who was still shivering, but had decided to listen to what he had to say.

"Okay, let's try this again. Hi, my name is Douglas Jay Falcon, but everyone calls me 'Captain' Falcon."

"My name...is Olimar. Captain Olimar."

* * *

 **At last, the two captains finally meet. While I do ship those two, this fanfic won't have them as a pairing. Also, thank you so much for the two followers I currently have, as well as your comments on the story so far!**


	4. Chapter 3, A New Danger

The next few minutes were very awkward. However, it wasn't the fact that neither of them said anything for the next five minutes, or even the earlier events that caused the situation to be unusual.

It was because Falcon was staring at him. And, if one was being stared at for a solid five minutes, that one was bound to get very uncomfortable, especially since he seemed to be unblinking due to the eye-like triangles on his mask.

"Please stop staring. It's very unnerving."

The pilot shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. "Sorry about that. It's just...I was trying to figure out what you are."

"I-I'm sorry, I'm confused."

"Well, after you said what your name was, I just knew that you can't be human! I mean, I had a hunch, with your...how should I put it...unusually small stature, so I guess I was just lost in thought, trying to remember if I had ever seen any of your kind before on my space travels."

 _Hyu-min? The translator wasn't able to translate that last word. Well, I suppose that is what this extremely tall man's race is referred to as._

"Well, I'm from a race called Hocotatians. I doubt you have ever seen one of us, as we have never been in contact with hyu-mins before. It is fortunate that is the case, as that 'Master Hand' fellow had to increase my size just so I could come to this world."

Falcon looked taken aback, "Wait, you know Master Hand?! Does that mean he really has brought extra help like he said he would?"

"I...suppose. Does that mean that you are one of those 'Smashers' he was referring to?"

"Yeah, if that's what he calls us," he said, shrugging, "Does that mean we'll be fighting together?"

Despite all that had happened, Olimar couldn't bring himself to say no to him. Yes, he was the cause of most of the Pikmin's deaths, but he hadn't meant to do it. At least he seemed sorry about it, and was trying to distract Olimar from what had happened.

It wasn't his fault, it was an accident. Those Pikmin, they died because of my carelessness. My commands were so sloppy, I am an utter disgrace as a leader.

He started to make his way towards the Pikmin's Onions, despite the fact that he was questioning even taking out more of them. The pressures of leadership were getting to him even now, this early in his quest. Olimar felt so depressed, he didn't even notice Falcon following him.

"Hey, what's going on with you? I thought you said you were gonna stop running away from me!"

Olimar stopped, turning around to face the pilot. "I'm not running away from you. What gave you that idea?"

He shrugged, looking even more confused. "I dunno, just the fact that you turn tail and run whenever you're near me. Is this still about those...whatever the hell those were?"

"You mean the Pikmin? Well, as a matter of fact, I was going to head back to base and get more of them. As well as...mourn the ones who fell."

Even when the twosome reached base, Olimar still was unsure whether or not he should in fact put more Pikmin at risk. _Maybe...I should just take less. A small number, not too many to worry about, but enough to fight off enemies._

His internal debate now settled, the space captain decided on using a small batallion of six. There were one of each color, with the exception of an extra Purple for firepower. The tiny amount of Pikmin seemed eager to fight at least, as their eyes glowed with determination upon joining Olimar's squad. The creatures were slightly crestfallen as their leader's antenna waves gave them the grave news that a full battalion was lost to an enemy, but they soon seemed that much more invigorated to go into battle in order to avenge their fallen comrades.

"Huh, this is...interesting..."

Falcon was staring in awe at the Hocotate Ship, who was clearly pleased from getting the additional attention.

"How is it that you actually made it here in this tin bucket? This rusty junk pile looks like it couldn't even fly an inch!"

 **Captain Olimar, this unusual creature is staring at me with wonder, but I have no idea what it is saying. Could you please translate the compliments it is giving me?**

The Hocotatian decided against it, not wanting to cause any more tension between himself and the ship. Instead, he decided on going with the strategy he always used with both the ship and his boss: ignore.

"Well, it can. Despite its appearance, Hocotatian technology is better than it looks."

"Yeah, no kidding..." Falcon murmured, still gaping in shock, "So...about us fighting together...you never responded to that."

Olimar didn't answer. Master Hand said to find other Smashers to help him, but the one he found seemed to bring just as much devastation on his teammates as well as his enemies.

"I promise, I won't kill any more of those little guys that follow you around. Please?"

Then again, there was the fact that Falcon seemed familiar with this world, and it would be a lot safer to go through this area with someone who not only knew a lot about it, but was also very powerful just on his own.

"I suppose that would benefit the both of us...very well, I don't mind traveling with you, Captain Falcon."

* * *

Not even ten minutes later, Olimar started to wonder if it was even a good idea. True, Falcon was extremely powerful, and yes, he did instantly decimate additional R.O.B.s (which were somehow a lot smaller than the original one) that they encountered, but there was something off.

Olimar was used to teamwork. His symbiotic relationship with the Pikmin was evidence enough of that. But with Falcon doing everything himself, and doing it so _easily_ , the space captain was starting to wonder if he was just dead weight to him.

But then again, it was probably for the best. This way, no Pikmin would be put at risk, more monsters were actually taken down, and faster progress was made. _Then again, I didn't exactly give off a great first impression to him when it came to combat. Not that I would have been much help anyways... it would've taken me ten times as long to destroy these machines than Falcon's...er..."Falcon Punch" as he keeps on calling it. This is kind of a nice change...relying on someone else for once rather than having the pressures of a leader._

Olimar saw the pilot stop dead ahead, and walked over to find what halted his progress. He was greeted with an awe-inspiring cliffside view of this world's ocean. Completely mesmerized by the sheer spectacle of it all, he took a moment to immerse himself in the scene's beauty. There were never sights this big...or spectacular...on either Hocotate, or even the Distant Planet.

"Hey Ollie, are you okay?"

Looking confused, he saw that Falcon was not only staring at him awkwardly yet again, but also referring to him by a shorter version of his name. "Yes...why, what's wrong?"

"Your...your eyes...they went all white and huge. Is that normal?"

Olimar tilted his head to the side, now intrigued. "Oh, that. Either when a Hocotatian is either surprised, scared, or sometimes dumbfounded, our eyes change shape and look all, as you said, "white and huge." It's completely normal for us, as it lets us have better vision during those moments of adrenaline rush. Wait...does that mean human's eyes don't change their shape?"

Falcon shook his head. "No, it's physically impossible to do that. Sorry about my reaction, I guess it was...weird...and unexpected to see your eyes look like

Nodding slowly, Olimar was still trying to understand that one concept. _They don't change shape? Completely strange... Then again, I suppose the Pikmin's eyes never morph either..._

He went back to observing the view on the cliffside. There was something that caught his attention this glance around, however. A small floating vehicle off in the distance was just now noticable to the Hocotatian's adjusted vision. It appeared to be for some sort of cargo transportation, and was piloted by strange-looking humanoid figures. They were green, but had purple faces, and odd shadow particles occasionally leaked out of their backs. Olimar had never seen anything like them before.

"Falcon..." the space captain said, tapping the larger male's leg to get his attention, "What are those unusual creatures down below? And why are they piloting that floating transport device, they certainly don't seem intelligent enough to do so..."

Falcon's attention snapped to what Olimar was describing, and the white triangle-eyes on his helmet seemed to narrow with intensity. "They've got one of our fellow Smashers held hostage! Those damn Primids...they won't get away with this!" He clenched his fists and mimed punching them with his hands, clearly wanting to go into action.

Olimar was confused, he didn't see anyone else on board the ship except for those odd creatures, or the "Damn Primids" as Falcon referred to them as. However, upon closer inspection, he saw that there was some sort of statue aboard the aircraft. It seemed to be a large, shaggy haired primate with massive arms and fists. However, it was still a statue, so Olimar was completely bewildered as to why Falcon would be angry at them for holding a carved decorative object hostage.

"Would you please care to explain what the significance is behind that statue those 'Damn Primids' are guarding?"

"What do you... Oh, wait! You have no idea about trophication, do you?"

"Trophication? What's that?"

"Well, when Master Hand first started those tournaments, he made it so we didn't permanently die in battle. That was not just for our own safety, but also to make it so our world's timelines wouldn't get disrupted because of our demise. So as a safety net of sorts, whenever a Smasher suffers fatal damage in this world, our bodies become petrified and turned to stone, as to preserve ourselves and heal the battle damage instantly. Revival is easy, just have someone tap the bottome of the trophy, and you're good as new."

"Then...why the urgency? What worries you about them holding that Smasher hostage in trophy form?"

"While the trophies are incredibly durable, I'm not entirely sure what would happen if the trophy itself were to be damaged. If something serious were to happen to it, the damage inflicted on the user would be severe, or worse...permanent." Falcon's fists practically had flames dancing on them at this point, his determination was clearly shown through his tense body. "I've got to save him. DK's been a Smasher since the start, back when there were only twelve of us. We're going down there."

Olimar looked down at the ship again, not entirely sure how they could actually get down there. It was such a long drop...the only way they could actually get down there safely was if there was some way they could fly. But because that option was currently not available to them, the space catain had no idea on how they could rescue the trophicized Smasher.

Falcon had other plans, though. He grabbed Olimar and lifted him off the ground, placing him on his shoulder. The Pikmin followed suit, latching onto their leader and holding on tight. Olimar now knew where Falcon was going with this... and did not like it at all.

"Okay, we're gonna jump down there, bash those guys, and save DK. You ready, Ollie?"

"Falcon, this is insanely dangerous, and will most likely result in the both of us plummeting to our death—"

But Falcon wasn't listening. With one massive leap, he pushed himself off of the cliff's edge and practically soared through the air. While Olimar was used to falling for long distances, after all, he practically jumped down cave holes on his second expedition to the Pikmin planet, but he couldn't help but feel terrified at the sheer speed they were falling. Not to mention him not being prepared for getting yanked by his collar and dragged towards a death-defying fall. By the time the two captains actually landed on the transport ship, the Hocotatian was practically swaying, and even looked like he was going to pass out.

"Wh-what...was that...? Falcon...what the heck were you thinking?"

"I was thinking we were going to swoop down and smash some Primid's skulls in!" he said, tapping the bottom of the primate's trophy and reviving him. The hulking beast broke out of the chains that held him, stomping his feet and pounding his chest. "Why, what's the problem?"

Olimar was about to say something, but was interrupted by one of the Primids coming at him with a flaming fist. He ducked to the side, and swung a Red Pikmin around and knocked it into the Primid's abdomen. _Never mind, the point is, we both somehow survived our fall, with no injuries whatsoever. I suppose I'll just have to accept the fact that he's got a much more adventurous spirit than mine...and definitely more reckless as well._

Another creature landed next to the three Smashers, looking very much like a miniature version of the big ape they just rescued. This one, however, had a long tail, a baseball cap, and a twin pair of guns that could clearly be used for fighting. It made sense, as he didn't have the natural bulk to dish out damage his counterpart had. _Figures that he had arrived to help save his friend and fight off these monsters. Good, we could use the extra help here._

The next few battles all blurred together in his mind. All he focused on was analyzing the new enemy's strengths and taking advantage of their weaknesses, like he always did. The Primids didn't have great balance, so all it took was one hit to really knock them over. Red Primids that threw fireballs, they could be dealt with Red Pikmin. Metal Primids had incredible defense and monstrous attack, so he used the Red Pikmin's heat to melt its steel body and finish it off with a Purple. There were also a few other odd spear-headed birds that flew in to give assistance, which Olimar found that he could actually deal with without the Pikmin's help, simply by picking them up when they got stuck in the ground and throwing them into the ocean down below. Much to his surprise, he was actually contributing quite a lot, and soon made no less than ten of the creatures meet their demise.

Falcon and the primates were also doing rather well. The larger one was able to defeat several with ease, simply by using his massive body weight and size to cause a lot of damage. The smaller one was a lot more tactical, avoiding attacks and firing his popguns when there was an opening. Of course, Falcon's style was a no-holds-barred fiery beatdown, but it was so fast that it was almost impossible to even see his attacks hit. All three of them had a defeated pile of Primids behind them in a matter of minutes, and Olimar could only imagine how many Pikmin could be created by having the Onion harvest all of those bodies.

A searing pain in his shoulder brought the Hocotatian's attention back to the battle at hand. One of the spear-birds had met it's mark, and embedded it's beak deep in his arm. Twisting it out as gently as he could and throwing it into the distance, he could see that the blow had dealt so much damage, that the health of his space suit had already dropped to less than half. Clutching his injured arm, which was covered in blood, he attempted to get back into the battle by knocking another Primid over the edge of the ship with a Purple Pikmin.

However, a Metal Primid had snuck up from behind and delivered a massive punch to Olimar's side, dealing lethal damage to the space captain. He felt his vision flicker and fade, as he felt a burning pain coming from his right side...the Primid had broken his ribs. The pain was so unbearable, he collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness almost instantly. However, his senses still remained, much to his surprise. He could still see as well, but when he tried to move, he found that his body wouldn't let him. A slow realization took hold of him, as he noted that his ribs had somehow been healed, on top of being practically petrified...he had experienced trophication.

However, he remembered what Falcon had said about the dangers of remaining a trophy for too long, as he saw the Metal Primid advancing on his still form. The Pikmin tried to fight him off, but they didn't have the strength to kill the Primid without their leader. The metal humanoid simply shook them off, and continued advancing on the immobile captain. With increasing horror, he saw that the creature was aiming his attack on the most vulnerable part of his entire being...his helmet.

 _If it is true what Falcon said, and damage you take in this state really is permanent...and if my helmet is destroyed in this form...Oh no. This...this cannot be happening!_

However, Falcon saw what had happened to his teammate, and, sprinting over as fast as he could, collided with the Metal Primid and knocked it down, finishing it off with a Falcon Punch to the head. He walked over to Olimar's trophy and lightly touched the bottom, instantly reviving the Hocotatian. He shook his head from side to side, still not believing what had very nearly became of him. He put the pieces together when he saw Falcon there, and realized that the human had saved his life. Olimar smiled, and gave him a small nod of gratitude, the only time for thanks that the battle would allow before Falcon rushed back into combat. He took out the remaining Primids with relative ease, and the spear-birds fled, fearing that they too would meet the same fate as their allies. Olimar knew he should be relieved that the fight was over, but all he could do was stand there, frozen with shock and terror.

 _Great galaxies...if Falcon hadn't been there when he did...I can't...the mere thought of it is just too horrifying. I must be more careful, I cannot allow this to happen again. Otherwise..._ he shuddered, his worst fears being realized. _I shall not only die of oxygen poisoning...but trapped for eternity as a trophy as well._

* * *

 **As the chapter title would suggest, a new danger has arisen for Olimar, on top of traveling with an incredibly reckless Captain Falcon. I hope you like this chapter, this is where a lot of my original ideas come into play. Also, shoutout to Team Sonic Forever 4910 for being the first person who favorited my story! Your support really helped, thank you so much!**


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